Page 5
by aworldoflis
Summary: Based off of CP Coulter's Dalton. Logan gets his hands on a paparazzi article on Julian and finds out more than he expected to. Rated T for language, I guess.
1. Page 5

****This story was intended to be a one-shot, containing only this chapter. My vanity has since taken over and I am thus continuing (a total of 3 chapters is currently planned). I hope you enjoy it, happy reading!  
><strong>**

**_Disclaimer_: I regard the mentions of Blaine, Kurt, and Dalton academy, who belong to whoever owns Glee, as Fair Use. Any other characters used have been developed and are owned by CP Coulter (FF id 2621766). She has, if not explicitly to me, graciously given permission for her characters to be used in fanfiction.**

* * *

><p>"Shit!"<p>

Julian threw the magazine to the wall with all the power he could gather. But magazines are notoriously hard to throw at walls - air caught up between the pages, effectively ruining the momentum of the throw, and the glossy fluttered to the ground like a wounded butterfly, never even touching the wall. It only added to Julian's frustration.

"Shit! Shitshitshit fucking _shit_!"

This was not good. This was not good at all.

He turned around, eyes darting around the room, looking for something else to throw with, something he could _break_, preferably, only to find Derek standing in the doorway. He was looking at Julian with a mixture of concern and annoyance.

"What!"

"Could you be bothered to keep it down? You may feel the world ends when you miss out on a movie deal, but I'm pretty sure that math test will still happen for the rest of us and _some_ people would like to study for it!"

Julian snorted. As if he would get thát worked up about missing out on a role. Ignoring the little voice in his head that told him that, actually, yes, he had and he would, he picked up the magazine from where it had landed and shoved it into Derek's chest.

"There. Page 5. Or if that's too much trouble to find, the cover will do just fine."

Slowly, Derek took the crumbled magazine and flattened out the front page. His eyes grew wider as he saw the inset picture and the accompanying headline, and he immediately understood why Julian was freaking out. He looked up at his best friend, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, cursing in silence. He carefully closed the door behind him and stepped closer to Julian.

"Jules... this... this doesn't have to mean anything. These pictures are so blurry, it could be anyone. You can just deny it is you, tell them they got you confused with someone else. Bring some pretty girl with you on the red carpet next time, and next week when some celebrity does something stupid everyone will forget about this. It's no big deal."

Julian's head jerked up, his eyes shooting fire.

"No big deal? NO. BIG. DEAL? They have pictures of me leaving a _gay_ nightclub ... "

" Yes, but ... "

"... my arm around another _guy_ ... "

"... but that's ..."

"... _kissing_ him ..."

"... well, that ..."

"... and they have a fucking _interview_ with him!"

Derek quickly flicked through the magazine. Page 5.

"Oh... ."

"Oh. Yes. Indeed. Oh.", sneered Julian. "Now, do you have some more of that infinite wisdom you'd like to share with me? Because God knows I'm not gonna be able to brush this off lightly."

He groaned. His manager was gonna kill him. And then kill him again.

"Jules, you gotta calm- "

But the actor didn't even let him finish his sentence and rose up.

"Calm? CALM? My whole career just went down the drain and you want me to KEEP CALM!"

Julian collapsed back on his bed. Lying on his back, hands covering his face, his mind wandered back to that night. He had been slightly drunk after the party for the wrap-up of the current Something Damaged season, and dreading having to go back to Dalton full-time with no immediate possible escape -with finals coming up his manager had 'considerately' postponed some of the planned photo-shoots and interviews- it had seemed like a brilliant idea to take full advantage of his last night of freedom to take his mind off things. He had been in Carré before: if not fantastic the music was good, but -more importantly- the boys were good-looking and always looking to score. In addition the club had the advantage of being located somewhat out of the city, and was thus less likely to be watched by paparazzi. Unfortunately, as it turned out, "less" didn't equal "not at all".

"Look, Julian," Derek begun, before he was interrupted by the door bursting open.

"Julian, you self-centered primadonna, there's no nee-"

The Stuart prefect was stopped in his tracks by the sight of Derek standing in the middle or the room.  
>Upon hearing Logan's voice Julian jerked up, and he cursed under his breath as he saw the blonde standing in the doorway, doorknob still in his hand. If there was <em>anyone <em>he wanted, no, _needed_ to keep this from... he exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Derek, who immediately understood.  
>But as quick as the glance had been, it had not gone unnoticed by Logan, and he was not gonna let these two keep any secrets from him.<p>

"What is going on here?"

Neither Julian nor Derek made any attempt to answer the question, and Logan felt the anger boiling up in him. His eyes went back and forth between the two boys when he noticed it: a frumpy glossy Derek was holding half behind his back, as if wanting to hide it. A mischievous grin appeared on Logan's face. Gossip.

"Whoo, paparazzi onto you again, Jules? What is it this time? You got someone pregnant? You had plastic surgery? Or no, no, wait, I know!" Logan almost bend double as he spit it out: "You're scheduled for a sex change operation!"

He roared with laughter but stopped dead as soon as he saw his two friends staring back at him, faces blank, and obviously not in the mood for silly jokes. For some reason, it got Logan even angrier.

"Oh come on, guys, you have to admit, that was _funny_. Jeesh. Lighten up already. So what is it then? Give me that."

He took a step in the direction of Derek, but before Logan could even reach out for the magazine, Julian had already snatched it from Derek's hand.

"It's none of your business,", he hissed, "now get out, I don't need you here."

Logan opened his mouth to put the diva back in his place, when the Pussycat Dolls filled the room.

_Dontcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me  
><em>_Dontcha wish your girlfriend was a fre..._

Derek fumbled to get his mobile phone out of his pocket. Emily. He cursed inwardly. Great timing, girl. He looked at his two best friends, trying to decide what to do. He didn't want to leave them alone, but ...

"Guys, I really need to take this call. Lo, get out. Jules, I'll be back in a minute."

He took the call and started to apologize extensively, while shooting Logan a look. _Get out, I got this, I'll tell you later_. Logan nodded, and followed Derek as he left the room, only to close the door behind him and turn back to Julian.

"Jules, don't be ridiculous and give me that magazine. How bad can it be?"

"Don't you speak English?", Julian spat out, "I said it's none of your business. Now get out and go woo some pretty Warbler boy or something."

If anything, the last remark fueled the anger inside Logan further. He probably could've gotten his own copy of the magazine from the newsagent downtown to find out what the fuss was about, but this was a matter of principle.  
>In two steps, he was next to Julian and shoved him to the side, grabbing the glossy while turning his back on his friend, effectively blocking Julian's arm between his own arm and his chest. Surprised as he was, Julian refused to let go, and as they struggled both boys fell on the bed together. With a loud bang, Julian's head slammed against the head board, and Logan took the opportunity to quickly snatch the magazine out of his hands. Before the other boy could stop him, he rose up and crossed the room to the window, well out of Julian's reach.<p>

"You fucking bastard!" Julian shouted, rubbing the back of his head with all the drama he had in him. "You little shithead, that fucking HURT!"

"Yeah well, you wouldn't hurt if you would've just given me the damn thing voluntarily, now, would you?", retorted Logan without any hint of remorse or concern. He was quickly browsing through the magazine, trying to find whatever it was that Julian apparently didn't want him to see.

"So what's the big deal here? I can't find... oooh... hmmm... "

Julian's stomach turned around as sparkles appeared in Logan's eyes.

"... those are some tight abs... dámn! Jules, I swear, one of these days you have to introduce me to that Cameron guy. He's fucking HOT. You sure he's not gay? Because... DAMN." Logan continued to stare at the picture until he remembered what it was he was actually looking for. "Now, where are you?"

The irony of Logan commenting on Cameron -of all people- wasn't lost on Julian. But he simply smiled a crooked smile and his gut joined in in the knot already formed by his stomach as the moment he had feared for so long inevitably drew closer.

"Page 5," he whispered, almost inaudible.

"What?"

"Page 5," Julian repeated. "Through 11."

"... through whát? SIX pages?"

Surprised, Logan looked up at the brunette. Julian was sitting on his bed, elbows on his knees, still clutching the back of his head in both hands. It was hard to tell what was going on in his mind, but whatever it was, even Logan could see that the young actor was terrified. For a moment, he felt for his friend - Julian díd have a lot on his plate, with both school and his acting career demanding full attention, the occasional modeling and singing, and the public eye requiring nothing but impeccable behavior from any actor in a series that was so popular among teenagers. But then again, he largely did it to himself - his overcrowded schedule was nobody's responsibility but Julian's.  
>Logan flicked back in the magazine until he found the dreaded spread. He stared at it for a few seconds before he started laughing uncontrollably.<p>

"Jules... _this_? This is what you're so worked up about? Come on! They were bound to find out _some_ time!"

Whatever reaction Julian had expected, he couldn't really tell, but this was most definitely not it. The knot in his belly seemed to loosen and tighten all at the same time and his mind was working overtime as he tried to process the implications of what Logan had just said.

"You... I..."

He struggled to convert the whirlwind of thoughts to coherent sentences.

Logan looked up from the magazine and cocked his head ever so slightly as he caught Julian's eye. It was Julian who broke the gaze first. Logan rolled his eyes and sighed at the sight of the drama queen in front of him.

"You I whát, Jules? You honestly thought you could keep out of the press that you're gay? Especially when you're apparently careless enough to go to gay nightclubs without even bothering to at least put on some shades?"

Julian decided to ignore the last comment and said haughtily, "I'm not gay."

Logan squinted at the brunette on the bed. He shrugged.

"Whatever you say, Jules. My gaydar tells me differently. And so does this... ." He held up the magazine.

"I'm bisexual."

Logan snorted.

"Whatever, beauty queen. They're on to you now."

They were on to him. That was indeed the least you could say. However, it was not that what occupied Julian's mind right now.

"Lo? Logan? You... you knew?"

Logan tossed the magazine onto Julian's desk and fell back into a chair. He looked at Julian intently, but this time he was the one to break the gaze. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Of course I knew. God, Jules, you're a good actor but don't give yourself too much credit. You made it pretty obvious."

'Of course I knew'. A vague feeling of disappointment boiled up in Julian's chest. Logan had known. For God knows how long Logan had known that Julian wasn't straight. He had known, and yet he had never said a word. He had known, and yet ... and yet he had never made a move. Julian cringed inside, the implications of Logan's confession gradually sinking in, and it took all of his (hopefully sufficient) acting skills to not show the desperation that was taking over his whole body now. If he had always suspected Logan saw him as nothing more than a friend, this was his proof.

Then, slowly, panic set in.

If Logan knew... if Logan knew of him being... interested... in guys... if he indeed had made it that obvious... then... what else did he know?

Julian looked up to the blonde guy sitting in his chair. He had taken up the magazine again, and was perusing it absentmindedly. To see him sitting there, almost peacefully, his legs curled up underneath him, looking utterly beautiful in the last sunlight of the day, Julian was reminded of what had caught his attention about the Senator's son in the first place. He wanted nothing more than to kick him out of that chair and out of his room, but he needed to know. He needed to know if Logan knew... if he knew... about... him. He fought to keep his voice level as he spoke.

"So. What gave me away? My love for Dolce & Gabbana suits? My extensive collection of Broadway cd's?"

Logan chuckled.

"The Broadway collection didn't help, I must admit. But mainly..." Logan paused for a minute, thinking. "... your jealousy. You ran off when I started dating Blaine. You ran off when I started dating Joshua. You ran off when Blaine and I went after Kurt. It could've been a coincidence the first time, and maybe even the second time, but when you started to hang out with Hummel and get all friendly with him, it was pretty obvious that every time you had just been crushing on those guys yourself. I have to admit, you have excellent taste. You just couldn't stand it that it was me getting in their pants and not you."

The prefect stood up from his chair and walked up to Julian.

"I guess you should have been more upfront about your own sexuality, Jules,", he whispered, "who knows, you might have even stood a chance, you're cute enough. But I guess it's too late now."

Logan's face was uncomfortably close to Julian's, their lips barely centimeters apart. Under other circumstances, Julian might have been tempted to bridge the gap and steal a kiss, if only to piss Logan off, but he was too dumbstruck to even consider it right now. How could Logan make such a perfect analysis of their history... yet draw the wrong conclusion?

Logan stood up and walked to the door, leaving Julian, still speechless, on the bed.

"See you around, movie star, I'm looking forward to see how your PR people are going to handle this."

-oOo-

Logan carefully closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. There was no one to be seen in the hallway - he guessed most Stuarts were either in their room or in the library studying - and he allowed himself a moment to close his eyes and revisit what had just happened back in that room.

So Julian was not straight, as he'd always pretended to be.

The moment Logan saw those pictures the realization had struck him like a bomb. How could he not have noticed? And more intriguingly, why had Julian never told him? But as much as he had wanted to shake Julian unconscious, he wasn't stupid, and he was very well aware of what the "article" could do to Julian's career: he was a Senator's son after all. He'd figured the best way to handle the situation was to pretend it was no big deal, that people knew already anyway. That HE knew already.

But as he made up the whole jealousy-story on the spot (honestly, he'd amazed even himself with his quick thinking), it had started to dawn on him. Julian's eyes had told him more than he thought there even was to know. The fear when he had snatched the magazine from him. The sheer horror when he explained how he "knew". The confusion (or was it relief?) when he concluded Jules must've had the hots for Blaine, Josh, and Kurt. The almost hopeful flicker when he called him cute... .

He cursed himself in silence. His best friend was in love with him and he never even suspected it? Way to go, pretty boy, way to go.

He got up and started back to his room when he almost bumped into Derek.

"God, Logan, would you watch where you're going?"

"Look who's talking", Logan snapped back, but without his usual snarkiness, making Derek stop to look at him for a second.

"You ok, Lo?"

Logan paused a moment before taking a breath and answering.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok. Better check up on Jules though. He's still freaking out about them pics."

If Derek was surprised that Logan knew about the pictures but didn't seem to be bothered in the least, he didn't let it show.

"Yeah. Ok. I will."

He looked on as Logan walked to his room, frowning a little. Something was definitely off. But he shrugged as he turned around - he had more urgent matters to take care of. Rebecca had called him during his call with Emily, and he just might have mixed some things up while switching between both conversations... but if he recalled correctly, Jess was in town this week, so maybe she was free later tonight... .


	2. Decision time

When Derek tried to open the door, he found it to be locked. Muffled sounds came from within the room, and he could imagine Julian pacing around aimlessly, not knowing what to do with himself. He leaned in against the door and knocked.

"Julian? Jules, let me in! It's me, it's Derek!"

Silence, followed by a short buzzing sound. Derek pushed down the lever and entered the room. Julian was pacing around the room alright, but it was not aimless at all. Derek watched as he went from his wardrobe to his desk and back to his bed, taking shirts, books, ... with the determined efficiency of someone who is used to pack suddenly and quickly. The suitcase on the bed was rapidly being filled up.

As Julian passed him, Derek grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Jules?"

Julian looked back at him for a few, long seconds, eyes so dark no emotion shone through, before he tore himself free.

"What does it look like? I'm packing." He reached behind Derek to close the door and lock it -he wasn't risking Logan bursting in again- as he spoke.

"My manager already called me, they're preparing a statement. Deal with the... rumors... , calm down the press and the fangirls, clean up the image. Quiet the LGBT groups - there's a whole shitload of them, did you know? They're all saying the same though," Julian pouted his lips, bringing his hands together in a pray-like gesture, and continued in a high voice, " 'Please come out, stand up, this will be so empowering for the LGBT community.' "

But Derek wasn't impressed.

"For fuck's sake, Jules, this is ridiculous. This has nothing to do with the press or your image and you know it. Why don't you just _talk_ to the guy? You can't expect him to just fall in your arms all of the sudden, but maybe give him time, I mean, he didn't even kno-"

"Well, that's the whole point now, isn't it?" Julian laughed joylessly, the sadness now so strong even the dark of his eyes couldn't conceal it anymore. "Because he knew, Der. He _knew_. He knew and he never said anything, never tried anything. I think that solves that issue, don't you?"

Derek's mind quickly flashed back to his meeting with Logan in the hall, only minutes earlier. The Stuart prefect hád seem strangely unfazed by Julian's in-adverted coming-out, but Derek had a hard time believing Logan had actually been aware of the actor being bi before today. Logan was too conceited and too temperamental, there was no way he would've let the chance slide to mock Julian about being a closeted bisexual in Hollywood. Or was there?

He turned his attention back to Julian. The movie star threw the shirts he was holding in his suitcase, and let himself fall on the bed next. He rubbed his hands together, and finally looked up, locking eyes with his best friend as he continued in a much lower voice, pleading.

"I could barely stay here with him not knowing, Derek. And now that he does... now that he does, you can't expect me to stay. You can't. I... can't."

Derek had never had any trouble dealing with the stuck-up primadonna that was Julian. He'd never let himself be intimidated by Julian's fame, or attitude, and they'd always been able to talk, to understand and respect each other, even when they didn't agree. But the boy that was sitting on the bed before him looked nothing like the lordly Hollywood actor he knew.

After they'd found the bloody message from the stalker, Julian had been scared, terrified, and Derek had taken care of him, protected him, it had been easy to know what to do. This time however, with Julian looking so utterly lost, Derek wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. Finally, he crouched before his friend.

"Jules... I know it's hard. But, it's just not safe for you out there. What with... recent events..."

He saw Julian wince and Derek shut up. He knew that, even now, weeks after the dramatic finding on the Stuart steps, Julian was still having trouble sleeping. He didn't need to be reminded of the danger that was possibly waiting for him outside Dalton walls.

But the tv-star wasn't going to give in easily.

"If anything, the... thát... , is one more reason for me to leave. She knows where I am, and she knows how to get to me. If she can get in and out of the school unnoticed, do you really think she's going to stop there? I have to get out of here, D, away from her, away from him, away from the press, away from all of this bloody mess I've gotten myself in."

"But it's not _safe_!", Derek exclaimed, exasperated. "Jules, we've been over this, you can't _leave_ now! And besides, where would you go? Your mom's place isn't exactly hidden and unreachable!"

Derek was right on that - the location of Dolce Larson's house was common knowledge, with the house even being included in a "Famous Cribs" tour that was organized for tourists in Hollywood. Their second homes in New York and Chicago had been revealed recently as well, and they'd even got hold of the location of their summer house in the Hamptons. There was no way Julian could hide out there.

"I'll figure something out. A hotel somewhere. Maybe fly to Europe. Still haven't seen Venice."

"... because, you know, there's no paparazzi in Venice," an all too familiar voice sounded, "Derek's right, Jules, leaving Dalton is the stupidest thing you could possibly do right now."

Julian felt like he was having a déjà-vu as he jerked up from his bed to find Logan standing in the doorway for the second time that day. His much-tested patience was slowly wearing thin.

"Logan! How the fuck did you get in here?"

The Stuart prefect was clearly enjoying his dramatic entrance, casually leaning against the doorframe, a broad smirk plastered across his face. He flipped a bright white card through his fingers.

"Well, after a certain Stuart," and at this Logan couldn't help but glare at Julian, who returned the look effortlessly, "locked himself up in his room for days without the prefect being able to come to the poor boy's help, Professor Murdoch and I decided it would be better if I had a master key with access to all student rooms. In case of emergencies, see. Which this clearly is."

He put the key card in his pocket and folded his arms, nodding at the stuffed suitcase on the bed Julian was now trying to close.

"Were you really planning to just leave?", he asked. "There is no place on earth that will protect you from the paparazzi and the press like Dalton, Jules. They'll be all over you, demanding confirmation, denial. They wíll find you, and they wíll get their statements, you know they will. Unless you remain within Dalton walls. They can never get to you as long as you stay here."

Julian grumbled. Logan didn't know half the reasons why he wanted to leave this place, and he was not about to tell him. Unfortunately, as far as the press was concerned, Logan had a point: there was no place he was safer from hidden camera's and constant questions as Dalton. But he would not let Logan win another argument today.

"It's not because _your_ father dropped you here to be out of the way, that the world has forgotten about rest of us here. You're right, those bloodsuckers will demand statements and quotes, but they will get them whether I'm here or on a gondola. And if you don't mind, I prefer the latter!"

At the very mention of his father, Logan's blood had started to boil. Neither Julian nor himself had ever shied away from arguing or insulting the other, but there had always been that mutual understanding that their family and home situation was not to be involved. Julian had now crossed that line, and Logan could barely contain himself.

"Leave my father out of this," he growled, "and don't forget you're the one who runs of and buries himself in work every time life gets a little bit hard! But if you so desperately want to go to Venice, why don't you let me book a flight for you? I'll drive you to the airport myself. I'm sure you'll have loads of closeted Hollywood-stars to keep you company there!"

Julian flushed with anger, and stood trembling on his legs.

"Don't give me that crap, Lo, what would you know about being closeted in Hollywood?"

"You're right, I _don't_! Because unlike some other people, at least I have the guts to come out and stand up for who I am!"

Julian had never lifted a finger against Logan, not even when he had found himself being thrown against a cd-case all those months back. But he was tired, tired and angry. The paparazzi. Logan. The stalker. His manager. Derek. They all wanted something from him, and he just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? He heard Logan's words replay in his head. _Who knows, you might've stood a chance. It's too late now._

And he lost it.

If Derek hadn't stepped in, Julian would have thrown himself at Logan and kicked him in the face. As it happened, however, it was Derek who received the first punch, having put himself between both boys and directly in the line of fire when Logan had lunged at the exact same moment as Julian had. Logan's fist hit Derek right on the nose, and he fell on the floor as the world went black before his eyes. It took him several seconds to recover, and by the time his vision had cleared up Logan had apparently wrestled Julian against the ground, holding him tightly in place. Both boys were breathing heavily, and although Julian tried to wriggle himself free from time to time, he knew it was useless.

"You," panted Logan, "are not going anywhere. I won't let you."

Julian's eyes shot fire.

"And you," he shot back, "you are not telling me what to do."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, the tension between them so dense it was almost tangible, until finally, with a last shove, Logan got up and stormed out of the room without saying another word.

Julian remained on the ground, motionless, and Derek looked at him, concerned about his friend more than about the blood that was now steadily dripping out of his own nose.

"Are you alright?"

The response was as short as it was curt.

"Get out."

"Jules..."

"Get out!"

Slowly, Derek got up and walked to the door. He turned around, looking at the actor who still hadn't moved since Logan had left.

"If you need anything..."

"GET! OUT!"

-oOo-

Derek felt like the only thing he was doing these days was banging on doors and shouting. Right now, he was hitting his fist against Logan's door. This whole situation was getting very much out of hand very quickly, and he wouldn't have any of it anymore. Several Stuarts passed by in the hallway, but they were wiser than to comment or to ask anything. He ignored their looks, and focused on the door in front of him.

"Logan, I'm not leaving until you let me in! Logan!"

He kept on drumming his fists against the door until, finally, he heard a short buzz.

If he had planned to confront Logan, he didn't have time to even start talking. As soon as he opened the door, Derek felt himself being pulled in and smacked against the wall. He'd have to get Logan back on his medication again, he thought fuzzily somewhere in the back of his head. All this pushing around would get him bruised all over and the girls didn't like that. Although, maybe he could get Tess to play nurse?

He didn't have time to continue the fantasy, though.

"How long?"

Derek tried to think. How long, what, exactly?

"How long?" repeated Logan, his face so close to Derek's, Derek could see the tiny freckles on Logan's nose, and the little star-shaped scar next to his eyebrow. "How long has Julian... has he... been... "

Derek looked at the blonde in surprise. Was that a tremble in Logan's voice? Was he... nervous?

"How long has Julian been bi?" he asked, as he lifted an eyebrow, "Well, I'd say... for about 17 years now."

"Don't mess with me, Der!" With a thump, Logan's fist landed next to Derek's head, sending the framed pictures on the wall rattling. "How long has he... has Julian... been in... how... with... with me?"

Derek stared as Logan tugged away and sat on his bed, eyes on the ground, suddenly uncharacteristically calm - at least on the outside. It took Derek several moments to recompose himself, but then he lumped into a chair, swinging his feet on Logan's desk.

"Oh, so you noticed that?"

"Yeah..." Logan looked up at him, and made a vague gesture. "Sorry about your nose, by the way."

Derek shrugged. " 's Ok."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Forever," Derek said finally. "Freshman year."

He watched Logan closely, but his reply didn't seem to elicit any response. The blonde prefect just sat there, staring, unmoving.

"I'm really thick, am I not?"

Despite himself, Derek felt the corners of his mouth rise.

"Yes," he said, "very thick, if I may say so."

Logan must have heard the smile in his voice, because he looked up at Derek. His green eyes, otherwise so full of emotion, were now almost expressionless, devoid of any feeling.

"So... what do I do now?"

"You're asking me?" Derek shook his head. "This is something between you and Julian. You figure it out."

"I thought you were the Don Juan here? Mister Experience?"

"Sorry dude, can't help you - no experience in failing to notice my best friend being in love with me for over 2 years. If you want advice on how to get a girl to agree to a threesome, though, I'm your man."

Logan managed a wry smile, but said nothing.

And so they sat there, in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

-oOo-

The next morning, Logan got in line behind Julian as they were queuing for breakfast. The actor looked curiously composed and, for the first time in weeks, well-rested, his brown hair combed neatly over his forehead. Logan vaguely wondered how he himself looked like, although he guessed he had had better days - even a cold shower and the 3 cups of coffee he had already downed that morning couldn't hide the dark circles under his eyes that resulted from staying awake the whole night.

"So, I see you're still here?" he said casually.

He didn't mention the fight they had had the previous day, nor did he offer an apology. He never did. He had never needed to, and now he knew why.

"Yeah," Julian replied equally casually as he took some bread, "decided it was too obvious if I'd leave school in a hurry. Wouldn't look good."

Outwardly, Logan was the image of calm, but inside he heaved a sigh of relief. He wanted to say something, but Julian continued.

"I'll be going Saturday. Clark's coming here for Parent's Night anyway, he'll be able to sneak me out discretely."

With his usual charm, he winked at the girl behind the counter as he took the plate with scrambled eggs and turned to walk to their usual table, leaving Logan staring after him. It took several minutes before he noticed the girl was talking to him.

"Excuse me? Mister Wright? How would you like your eggs today?"

* * *

><p><strong>So... as I stated previously, I had no intention of continuing this story. But I got some story alerts and some reviews so I thought, what the hell, why don't I give it a try? And here you are... I have one more chapter in my head about the events at Parent's Night (read: I see a jealous!Logan), anything after that will depend on reviews and feedback I get on this and the next chapter (or the lack thereof, lol).<strong>

**Hope you liked it, feel free to let me know what you think!**


	3. I dare you

The meeting hall was buzzing with anticipating voices. It was only a little past 7, but already parents had started to arrive at Dalton Academy, anxious to see their sons on stage and give it their best during the Parent's Night performances.

Julian stood on the stairs and watched the hall slowly fill with boys in navy-and-red blazers, women in stunning cocktail dresses and men in tuxes. The excitement, the polite conversations, the fancy clothes... it reminded him vaguely of some red carpet event. It was as if they'd tried to organize their own Oscar party, and had almost succeeded - almost, but not quite. He allowed himself a little smile as he screened the people in the hall, looking for a familiar face.

Derek stood a little to his left, talking animatedly to his parents, showing his silver rowing medal to his sister. The little girl smiled faintly and nodded, clearly not very at ease in a hall crowded with adults and blazer-clad boys, most of them twice her size. Kurt tugged by, followed by Blaine, or rather, Kurt tugged by dragging Blaine along in the direction of the door, where Kurt's dad and stepmom had just entered. The newlyweds had obviously tried their best to keep up with the style and class that came naturally to the type of parents that sends their children to Dalton Academy, and had, well, managed to not stand out too much.

Julian let his eyes wander a bit further, and couldn't help but feel a little jolt in his stomach when he spotted an all too familiar blonde head. Logan stood with his stepmother, his posture and gestures more lively than they had been the past week. The prefect had ignored him pretty much the whole week, which had suited Julian just fine but had driven Derek mental, who hadn't stopped nagging him about how he ought to "have a talk" with Logan.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk. The question was just: what was there to say? It was Logan who had ignored him all week, Logan who, after having stormed out of his room, had gone out of his way to get out of Julian's way. If he hadn't known any better, Julian might have suspected his friend had some homophobic tendencies. As things stood, however, he had decided he couldn't care less - he'd wanted to be alone, and that's exactly what he'd gotten. He had spent his time packing the remainder of his stuff and sorting out the administration for his leaving Dalton. And now, with only few hours separating him from leaving his self-imposed prison, he was anxious to get it over and done with.

Clark entered the room with the ease and confidence of someone who was used to receive all attention wherever they walked in. Things were no different at Dalton Academy, and heads turned, followed by excited whispers, as the young singer/actor crossed the hall, smiling and nodding to the people who recognized him as he passed, but keeping a clear distance. He was not here for himself, tonight, it was Reed who deserved the spotlight. He looked around, bending his neck to try to spot the little artist, when he finally caught a glimpse of him, standing with 2 other Dalton boys - one short, with what appeared to be half a liter of gel in his thick, black hair, and one taller, with a proud, confident posture.

"... and so he actually bought one of my paintings, and I just can't believe that- ooh!"

Reed gave a little jump as he noticed Clark, promptly twisting his ankle and falling over. The taller boy immediately reached out, catching him and pulling him back to his feet. Clark couldn't help but smile - it was good to see that his stepbrother had friends here who he clearly could fall back on, at least literally.

"Hi... hi Clark", Reed all but squeaked, "what... how... how are you here?"

Clark gave him a wide smile.

"Why, I came to support you, of course! Your dad sends his regards, by the way."

The little boy smiled back uneasily. Clark was a nice guy, but apart from that one phone call, they hadn't really been in touch much.

"Oh, and your mom asked to please not forget the meeting with the curator of your New York exhibit," Clark continued, "and to prepare some sketches, if you have time."

Reed's face fell a little at the mention of his mother and the exhibition.

"I won't. And I will. I bet she didn't say that last bit though, about if I have time."

Clark burst out laughing, startling Reed who almost tripped over his feet again.

"No, indeed she didn't. But I'm sure she meant to say it that way."

Reed doubted it, but he decided to let it go. There was nothing he could do about it anyway.

"Clark, let me introduce you to Kurt, my roommate." Reed pointed towards the taller of the two boys, whose clear grey eyes twinkled with excitement as he shook Clark's hand. He was obviously restraining his inner fanboy, and Clark appreciated the boy seemed to understand that tonight was not about Clark.

"And this is Blaine, his boyfriend." Clark held out his hand, and was almost relieved to find the other boy had washed his hands rigorously after applying all that gel.

"Kurt, Blaine, this is Clark. My stepbrother." Reed added the last remark a bit hesitantly, looking at Clark as if asking permission, but the singer didn't seem to notice.

"Say, Reed, you don't happen to know where Julian is?"

"Julian?" Reed asked, surprised. "Why?"

The question seemed to embarrass Clark a little, who didn't immediately reply.

"I... uh... he... ehm... he asked me to bring some stuff for him. For the show. Scripts. And stuff."

Reed frowned a little, but stood a little higher on his toes as he started to look around, using Kurt for support.

"There!" He pointed as he spotted the actor standing on the staircase, overlooking the crowd as if he were the organizer of this magnificent event.

Clark smiled.

"Thanks. I'll see you later! And Reed," he winked at the little artist, "break a leg."

And with that, he disappeared into the crowd.

-o0o-

Tall, wavy blonde hair and a body to kill for - Logan didn't need to do a double take to know when Clark Sawyer pushed past him. He quickly made up an excuse and left his stepmother standing on her own. She looked a little bewildered but he couldn't care less - he had no idea whether Julian had planned to leave as soon as Sawyer got here or if he would wait until the evening was over and then sneak out, but he wasn't taking chances.

He looked up just as Clark met Julian, and he saw the two fist bump before pulling each other in a hug. He snorted indignantly. Hollywood habits. Sure, they'd kiss and hug and fist bump, but at the end of the day, it didn't mean a thing: the only thing you could count on was that they'd come back to bite you in the ass first chance they got.

He followed them up the stairs and tried to get closer without them noticing. It wasn't as hard as he'd imagined it to be, because Julian was... laughing?

"God, Clark, are you serious?" Julian could barely catch his breath, this was just too funny.

"Dead serious," Clark assured him, only just able to contain himself either, "he just hung there, swinging, squealing like a pig. It was hilarious. I think Marcie has some of it filmed on her phone, you should ask her - it was just... this story will follow him until the end of time."

Julian just kept on giggling - the image of Cameron hanging 20 feet in the air, dangling from a crane, without trousers, was simply priceless.

"Man... I can't believe I wasn't there," he said, still shaking with laughter. He put his arm around Clark and pulled him closer as they walked. "I miss you guys, really, I do."

Clark smiled, leaning into the hug before releasing himself from Julian's grip.

"We miss you too, J, we miss you too. Things just aren't the same on set without you. So when do you plan on coming back?"

Julian fell silent, a serious look on his face.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I just don't feel like getting out there, you know? Everybody asking questions, or worse, just looking and... I only want to do my job. Act. That's what I'm good at. Not this whole dealing with the press thing."

Clark chuckled. "You are very good at the dealing with the press thing, and you know it. I'd even dare say you like it."

He bumped against Julian's shoulder, but in a friendly, encouraging way, and the young actor managed to force a little smile.

"Yeah... yeah, I do."

But the smile disappeared quickly as he considered what he was up against this time.

"I still haven't decided what to do about the article, though."

Clark looked sideways, hesitating, but finally decided to ask. They were close colleagues, after all, and even, he thought, more than that. They were friends.

"So... is it true? What it said in the article?"

The answer didn't come immediately, and when it came, it was so soft that Clark barely heard it.

"Half... bisexual is the official term, I believe."

Julian looked up to find Clark staring at him, worry and concern in his eyes, and for some reason it irritated him greatly.

"See! Even you look at me differently now that you know! Don't do that! God, that's exactly what I don't need!"

He pulled his fingers through his hair, exasperating.

"I don't care people knowing, I just don't want them to treat me differently because of it! I don't want them to stop offering me roles. I don't want them to _start_ offering me roles." He shivered slightly at the idea of being typecast for gay characters for the rest of his life.

"Even the people at this school... they won't talk to me, obviously, and the no bullying-policy keeps them from doing anything, but I can _feel_ it, Clark. They've all seen the pictures, read the interview, and I can just feel them looking at me, judging me, thinking 'Look, there goes another Hollywood star too scared of coming out.'. And I hate it. I hate it."

He paused, looking at Clark with a look in his eyes that could be despair, or hope, or maybe everything in between.

"Just get me out of here, please."

For a moment, Clark looked like he wanted to comment, but he seemed to decide against it.

"Sure. Let's get your suitcases."

As they walked into Julian's room, Logan turned around. He had heard enough. He had _seen_ enough. He walked away.

-o0o-

"We can pick up your other stuff later tonight, then, okay?"

Julian nodded.

"Thanks again for doing this, Clark, I really appreciate it."

They were each carrying a suitcase as they descended the stairs outside Stuart House and walked to the parking lot.

"Anytime, J, you know that. I'm just sorry that..."

He stopped, suddenly, almost causing Julian to bump into him.

"Clark, what?"

And then he saw it too. Someone was leaning against Clark's car. The lighting in the parking lot was poor, but unlike Clark Julian didn't need more light to see who it was.

"Logan."

"Jules." Logan didn't move, his arms folded against his chest, his green eyes fixed on Julian. "What? Are you not happy to see me?"

Indignantly, Julian dropped his suitcase on the ground.

"No, Logan, I am not. You've been ignoring me all week, I was kinda hoping you could keep up the good behavior one more night."

"Awww," Logan pouted, grabbing his heart. "That _hurt_, Jules. And here I was thinking all you wanted was my attention."

Julian's head jerked up, and he saw Logan detach himself from the car and walk towards him. Meanwhile, behind him, he heard Clark shift uncomfortably.

"Maybe I should just... go..."

"No," Julian sounded determined. "Stay."

God knew he needed all the support he could get.

"Am I wrong, Julian? Don't you want my attention?"

Julian shifted, forcing himself to look into Logan's eyes, in those wonderful, hateful green eyes. Logan was now standing uncomfortably close to him, their noses only millimeters apart, and he could swear he felt the other boy's breath on his skin.

"Logan... don't..."

If Logan only knew what he was doing to Julian, what his standing so near to Julian did to him... but as slow as the smirk appearing on Logan's face, the realization dawned on Julian. He knew. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing.

But he wasn't even given the time to get angry because suddenly Logan's lips were pressing on his, hard, hungry. Instinctively Julian leaned into it, parting his lips, exploring, with his tongue, the warmth of Logan's mouth, his lips, his tongue. Automatically, he lifted his hands, grabbing the lapels of Logan's blazer. And he pushed him away.

"You bastard," he hissed. "you manipulative, ignorant bastard. This is just a game for you, isn't it?"

With a satisfying _SMACK_, his hand hit Logan's cheek. The blow managed to throw the blonde slightly out of balance but didn't wipe the grin off his face.

"Nice one, Jules, I didn't know you had it in you. Oh, don't worry," he added as he saw Julian look over his shoulder, "your little friend made a runner for it as soon as we started making out. Guess he's not into that kind of thing, is he? Those Hollywood friends..." he shook his head, "unreliable as hell, don't you think? And you asked him so nicely..."

"You," growled Julian, "how do you always manage to ruin _everything_?"

Logan almost smiled.

"Oh, now you're giving me too much credit, Jules. I'd say you slapping me had something to do with it as well. Or was it you lying about your feelings for me_ for three years_?"

"I never lied to you!"

"Well, you could as well have! For fuck's sake, Jules, I thought we were friends!"

Logan was shouting at this point, his previous self control and calm completely gone. If Julian hadn't known better, he could have sworn Logan looked hurt.

"If you couldn't even tell me thát... what else have you been keeping from me? I bet you that Clark guy knew about it, didn't he? I bet you told _him_! Is it because he is blonde, like me? Did he remind you of me? Is that why..."

_SMACK!_

"_Shut up_."

Julian was positively shaking of withheld anger. His hand was tingling where he had hit Logan for the second time, and he could feel the blood pulsing through his veins.

"I said I wouldn't let you go." Logan was glaring at him. "And I won't."

"And I said you don't get to tell me what to do," replied Julian as calm as he could, "I will go if I want to."

He turned around to head back to the South and Main, when he heard it.

"Coward."

He froze.

"Coward. That's what you are. Running away. From me, from your feelings, from unwelcome attention of the press, from everyone who might not see you as the untouchable, unreachable, almighty Julian Larson. Running away, every time life gets a little bit hard. But one day you'll run out of places to run to, Jules. You'll run out of people to run to. And where will that leave you?"

Julian kept his eyes on the ground as he spoke softly.

"What do you want from me, Logan?"

"Stay."

It was a simple word, a simple sound, one Julian had longed to hear from Logan's mouth for so long. He never thought it would be under these circumstances, though.

"Stay. I dare you." Logan's green gaze captured Julian as he turned around. "I dare you, Julian. I dare you to stay, and to finally confront your fears. Confront the gossip. Confront your feelings. Confront _me_."

Logan stepped forward until he was next to Julian, and he leaned forward as he whispered in the other boy's ear.

"Because I meant what I said, Jules. You're cute enough."

And with that, he left Julian standing there. He walked back to the Main building and as he climbed the stairs, Blaine and Derek came running out, no doubt alarmed by Clark. They paused for a moment when they saw him, but Logan waved them away, shooing them towards the figure that was still standing in the parking lot, surrounded by suitcases, unmoving. He entered the building without looking back.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it... it was a bitch to write, this one. But six hours later... I made it ;). <strong>**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or alerted the story - it may not seem much but every single one of you made my day! And m****y apologies to those who wanted a happily ever after, but I just don't see it happening with these two (however much I ship them), at least not this easily.**

**I will keep it at this 3-chapter arc, although I've had great fun (and frustration) writing it. I might continue later, if I have inspiration, but currently my head is filled with my Brothers fic (if you like Klaine, check it out!) and writing two stories is just too much. If you've come this far, thank you for reading, and if you liked it - let me know through reviews/alerts/pms/... and spread the word!**

**ETA: I changed my Tumblr url to letmegiveyoumynumbah, so maybe I'll see you there!**


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